Alkaline earth metal phenates and process for their preparation



,iatenteii Jan. 14, 1941 I v 7 v- UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE atEmafetfiastehm Oil Company of California, San Francisco, Calih, corporation oi! Delaware No Drawing. Application October 4, 1938, Serial No. 233,327

' 21 Claims. (Cl. 260-624) This invention comprises new compositions of ing alkaline earth metal phenates of high molecmatter and an improved method of preparing ular weight phenols.. alkaline earthmetal phenates. 'More particular- Another object of the invention is the provi- Lv, the invention relates to the production of sion of a newcomposition of matter comprising 5 alkaline earth metal phenates of high molecular an-alkalin'e earth metal phenate of a high mo- 5 weight phenols. lecular weight phenol in which the phenolic Methods utilized heretofore in the preparation radical contains more than ten carbon atoms. 7

of metal phenates have involved various difiicul- A further object of the invention comprises ties. This is particularly true where the metal an improved process for preparing-alkaline earth 10 salts of relatively weak bases such as the almetal phenatesingeneral and, more particularly, o kaline earth metals and high molecular weight alkaline earth metal salts of alkyl phenols in phenols, are involved. Expensive starting mawhich the alkyl portion of the phenolic radical terials, such as metallic calcium and/or extended comprises more than four carbon atoms. purification methods, were sometimes necessary v An additional object of the invention is the ,1}; to obtain a product of the desired purity'and production of a new composition of matter comj prepared by reacting in a non-aqueous environcharacteristics. a prising an alkaline earth metal phenate of an Additional difiiculties are encountered where alkyl phenol in which the alkyl portion ot the the metal phenate contains a high molecular phenolic radical contains morecthan four. carbon weight phenol, and the compound is amorphous atoms.- 1

go and has a high melting point. It has been ob- Further objects of theginvention comprisethe 2o served, for example,that when water is present production of alkaline earth metal phenates of during the preparation of such compounds the lauryl (dodecyD phenol or cetyl phenol, such as phenate tends .to hold the waterso intimately calcium 'dodecyl phenate or calcium cetyl phethat its subsequent removal is troublesome. The nate. I w. 25 water 'formed by reaction of a metal oxide or The new compounds comprising the preferred as hydroxide with the phenolic acid is suflicient in species or. this invention maybe represented by some instances to introduce this difliculty. the type formula' We have. discovered that alkaline earth metal compounds of a phenol can be advantageously ment a carbide-oi a metal and a phenol; This process is particularly advantageous when ap plied to high molecular weight phenols. Despite the fact that the high molecular weight phenols are extremely weak and in general'relatively unv 35 reactive, their metal salts have been obtained in I A an anhydrous and relatively pure condition by in Which M is an alkaline earth m v, w, :0, 1! the process oi this invention. High yields of the and 3 are selected o the group ons sti of desired compounds have been obtained by using hydrogen. h ro rbon. oxy and hydroxyl ra i- 40 relatively cheap raw materials where prior proc- Gals. and in which the p n l c radical'has an esses either requiredmore expensive reagents as alkyl group containing at least-five carbon atoms starting at l gave a less desirame gand preferably more than ten carbon atoms. The n n product, hydrocarbon group above mentioned may be an The alkaline earth metal phenates in which h' w k ryl p rrcyclic non-bena phenolic radical contains more than ten' car- E P- Y the rm xy radical herev bon atoms have not, to the best of our kno l d inabove mentioned it is-intended to designate a been prepared heretofore and comprise new and hydroxyl group in which the hydrogenha's been useful compositions of matter. 1 Alkaline earth replaced by esterification neutralization or the f metal phenates in which a phenolic radical conlike. Y v tains an alkyl group of more than four carbon The new compounds herein disclosed may be atoms, and more particularly more than ten car- I added asv ingredients in compositions such as bonatoms, comprise preferred species-of the new hydrocarbon fuels, lubricating oils, drying oils,

composition of matter. and the like. .These compounds also,comprisej Accordingly, an object oi the invention is to useful-base materials for-synthetic organic proc- 7 5 provide anew and improved process for preparesses for the production or compounds where it is desirable to introduce a substituent containing an alkaryl group of the present phenolic type.

According to the invention alkaline earth metal phenates are prepared by direct reaction between the corresponding phenol and the alkaline earth metal carbide. Theprocess is applicable. to the alkaline earth metal carbides and phenols in general. The reactionoccurring may be represented as follows:

" In the above reaction and equation the phenol may also be a polyhydroxy phenol or a substituted phenol containing an alkyl, aryl, alkaryl,

aralkyl or cyclic non-benzenoid group. The procass is also applicable to the preparation of phenates of polycyclic. phenols in which the benzene rings may or may not be conjugated. The term phenols is used herein to designate generically compounds which contain one or more hydroxyl groups directly attached to an aromatic nucleus. In the preferred embodiment of the process an alkyl phenol containing more than four carbon atoms, for example lauryl or cetyl phenol, is reacted with calcium carbide at elevated temperatures. e. g. 450 to 550 F, The lauryl or cetyl phenol utilized may be prepared by condensing. phenol with an oleiine corresponding to the alkyl group. The reaction involved in the preparation of these phenols may be represented as follows:

' Q on on O l-CnHu t His I on on ilHu Suitable condensing agents for the above reaction comprise sulfuric acid, aluminum chloride,

zinc chloride and the like. A specific example of I a method of preparing an alkyl phenol. to be utilized in the process of this invention comprises the following:

Example 1.-Phenol and a butene polymer having an apparent molecular weight of 194 and obtained by polymerization of a mixture of butenes containing butene-1, butene-2, and-iso-butene were mixed. To this mixture containing 237 grams of phenol and .500 grams of the above mentioned butene polymers, 140 cubic centimeters of 94%- suliuric acid were added slowly with agitation. The temperature was kept below 65 F. during addition 'of the acid.. The mixture was aeitated for two hours after the addition of acid was completed 'and permitted to come to room temperature. The reaction product wasthen diluted with an equalvolume of water and placed in a sealed autoclave where is was heated at 350 F. for an hour with. agitation. The product was washed with water. 5% sodium carbonate solution and again with water in order to free it of sulfuric acid sulfonates and unreacted phenol. A 93% yield of high molecular weight water-insoluble allwl phenol having an acetyl number of 181 was obtained.

. 7 An additional example of a method of prepar ing alkyl phenols suitable for use in the process of this invention comprises:

Example 2.51l grams of crude cresylic acid,

A 900 grams of oleflne polymers containing an average of 14 carbon atoms per molecule, and 475 grams of 98% sulfuric acid were utilized inpreparing an alkylated cresol. These ingredients were combined and treated in the manner described above for preparation of cetyl phenol. The product was vacuum-distilled at mm. and a 50 to 90% cut of an alkyl phenol obtained which had a molecular weight of 291 and was used to prepare the calcium salt hereinafter described in Example 6.

The above method of preparing the alkyl phenols is merely illustrative. Other condensation reactions utilizing alcohols or alkyl chlorides rather than oleiines as a starting material may be adopted for introducing an alkyl group into the aromatic nucleus. A mixture oi sulfuric and glacial acetic acids may be used with advantage as a condensing agent. A suitable mixture comprises 100 parts by weight 98% H2804 to 60 parts by weight of glacial acetic acid.; The presence of the acetic acid facilitates temperature moved. The product remaining in the reaction zone was a dark-colored brittle solid at roomtemperature and comprised a metal salt of the alkylated phenol. 94% of the theoretical yield of calciumalkyl phenate was obtained as shown by an analysis of a sample of the reaction product freed from calcium carbide by filtration of its petroleum ether solution. I 1

Example 4.685 grams of an aikylate'd phenol,

to 540 1''. with 90 grams of calcium carbide. A gas containing acetylene was formed and removed. The product remaining' in the reaction zone was a dark-colored brittle solid at room temperature. A yield of calcium alkyl phenate representing 96% of that theoretically possible.

was obtained.

Example 5.--44 grams of p-cyclohexyl phenol and 20 grams of powdered calcium carbide were heated together at 350 F. for one hour. The product was a tan colored powder insoluble in petroleum ether, soluble in benzene, and comprising the calcium salt of p-cyclohexyl phenol.

Example 62-234 grams of an alkyl cresol (molecuiar weight 291) and 25 grams of powdered calcium carbide were heated at 530 F. with stirring for four hours. The product obtained comhaving an apparent molecular weight of 290, were agitated for six hours at from approximately 500 prising the calcium Sam-m1 cresol was a hard brittle solid. soluble in mineral oil.

The calcium phenates of high molecular weight alkyl phenols are characterized by high oil solubility and, when prepared by the method herein disclosed, are free from entrained, absorbed or dissolved water. Calcium cetyl phenate, for example, is an amorphous solid at normal atmos-' pheric temperature, softens at 200 F., is fairly fluid at i=00 F. and is highly soluble in mineral oil and other organic solvents. The solid calcium cetyl phenate is dark green in color.

The process of, this invention has a number of advantages. It avoids the use of an aqueous solvent as a medium for effecting the reactions and thereby precludes diillculties often encountered by reason of hydrolysis of the reaction product which in turn decreases yields and introducesimpurities. ,The process permits the production of high yields of alkaline earth metal phenates even though the alkvl phenols are relatively unreactive :and substantial yields are in some-cases not obtainable even in media where reactivity of stronger phenols is known to be many times greater than the reactivity of the water-insoluble phenols in non-aqueous environments. It will be noted that acetylene rather than water is formed describediin detail, and numeroustenamples of the preparation and application of the invention given, this has been done by way of illustration only and with the intention that no'limitation should be imposed upon the invention thereby.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications and variations of the illustrative examples may be effected in the .prac-. the of the invention, which is of the scope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. A process of preparing metal phenates which comprises reacting a carbide of an alkaline earth metal with a phenol in an environment substantially free of water, whereby an alkaline earth metal phenate and a gaseous reaction product are formed.

2. A process of preparing alkaline earth metal phenates which comprises reacting an alkaline earth metal carbide with a phenol containing more than ten carbon atoms in an environment substantially free of water, whereby-an alkaline earth metal phenate and acetylene are formed.

3. A process of preparing metal phenates, which comprises directly reacting a carbide of an alkaline earth metal withaphenol containing at least sixteen carbon atoms in an environment substantially free of water, whereby an alkaline earth metal phenate and acetylene are formed.

4. A process of preparing calcium phenates, which comprises directly reacting calcium carbide with a phenol containing at least carbon atoms in an environment'substantially free of water, whereby a calcium phenate and acetylene are formed.

5; A process of preparing metal phenatesr which comprises 'directly reacting a carbide of.

. 3 ,an alkaline earth metal with a phenol of the type formula:

in which 1;, in, :c, z! and z are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen. hydrocarbon, and hydroxyl radicals and in which the phenolic radical has an alkyl group containing at least flve carbon atoms, said reaction being affected in an environment substantially free of water, whereby an alkaline earth metal phenate and acetylene are formed.

-6. A process or preparing alkaline earth metal phenates, which comprises directly reacting calcium carbide with a phenol of the type formula:

in which 1:, w, m, y and z are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbon, and

hydroxyl groups and in whlc the phenolic radical has an alkyl group cont at least ten carbon atoms, said reaction being eifected in, an environment substantially free of water, whereby calcium phenate and acetylene are formed.

7. A*process ofpreparing an alkalinev earth metal phenate, which comprises directly reacting in a substantially anhydrous environment a carbide of an alkalinev earth metal with a lauryl.

8. A process of preparing an alkaline earth -metal phenate, which comprises directly reacting in a substantially anhydrous environment a carbide of an alkaline earth metal with a cetyl phenol.

'9. An alkaline earth metal phenate in which a phenolic radical contains more than ten car bon atoms.

' I, v in which M is an alkaline earth metal, the phenolic radical has an alkyl group containing at least five carbon atoms, and v, w. z, u and z are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen.

hydrocarbon, and hydroxyl radicals. 12. A compound asdefined in claim 11, in whichthemetal is'calclum.

13. an alkaline-earthmetal m1 phenate containing an alkyl group having at least 'ilve carbon atoms. ,14. An alkaline earth metal lauryl phenate.

-15. An alkaline earth metal cetyl phenate.

. 16. A calciinn alkyl phenate containing an alkyl group having at least rive carbon atoms.

17. A calcium lauryl phenate. 18. A calcium 'eetyl phenate.

19. A process of preparing metal phenates which comprises reacting a carbide '0! an alkaline earth metal with a monohydroxy phenol in an environment substantially free of water, whereby an alkaline earth metal phenate and a gaseous reaction product are formed.

. 20. A process of preparing alkaline earth metal phenates which comprises reacting an alkaline earth metal carbide with a monohydroxy phenol than ten carbon'atoms.

GEORGE H. D-ENISON, JR. ARTHUR c. E'I'ILING. 

